Lord Summerisle
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Posts posted by Lord Summerisle
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24 minutes ago, Rabs said:
Well according to this they were all faulty
Fair enough, then. The video evidence does two things: documents the write-off for the IRS, and also protects the company in case of any liability claims from people who subsequently claim to have been injured by these "unsafe parts." (Can't be one of those guitars, we didn't sell from that batch, we drove over them with a bulldozer - look). That explains why these things were destroyed in their entirety, and not stripped of parts prior to their destruction.
I understand why the video was made. In Gibson's position I'd be absolutely furious with the former employee who leaked it. This isn't whistle-blowing. A private company is free to destroy its own property, if it so chooses.
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The video was doubtless made to document the destruction of the inventory, should evidence need to be provided to the IRS.
Destruction, as opposed to charitable donation, is not uncommon for "luxury brands." https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/companies/why-luxury-brands-burn-their-own-goods/ar-BBMX3Pk
Selling them for pennies on the dollar devalues the brand and irritates the dealer network who are trying to sell Gibson guitars for big bucks as luxury items, while other authentic Gibson guitars are now being sold for peanuts.
The same is true of charitable donation. Those are examples of Gibson's high end product. The fact that they were basically unsaleable doesn't matter. New Gibsons showing up in hundreds of youth organizations' band camps still "devalues" the luxury product. Had these been lower range Epiphones, perhaps the company would have donated them.
It seems very wrong to us as musicians, but, well, business is business.
And I doubt they're pleased their documented evidence showed up on Youtube.
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Thinking about one of these. It would be my first Epiphone in a decade.
I've always wanted a double-cut Les Paul, and $600 is a price I can (just about) justify.
I thought I'd wait until they had been out a while, for the honeymoon effect to wear off on people who bought one.
So, DC Pro owners, I'd like to pick your brains. What's the skinny on these, the good and the bad?
Thanks. Johnny.
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I don't know whether it was specifically used on "Slide Away," but I wouldn't be surprised...
You have the right guitar and amp for the Noel Gallagher tone, but you're missing one vital piece of equipment that is all over his early Oasis recordings:
An Ibanez TS808 Tube Screamer, I'm not sure the TS9 gets you close enough, although, to be honest, I'm surprised it doesn't.
Maybe you need one of those, or something that does a really good job of emulating it, to turn yourself into early-mid-1990s Noel?
You may also need: eyebrows that join in the middle, a parka, an obstreperous younger brother with whom you feud a lot, a Man City shirt from the days when they were languishing in lower divisions and, unlike today, winning nothing, and the ability to pronounce "Our kid" in a Burnage accent.
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Working now, looks great.
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There's something wrong with your site. I just went there and there is no content, just ad links.
This isn't to criticize your resource, which I think is an amazing effort to provide information to fans of Epiphone guitars, it's just to say your site is broken, I think.
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Nice to see a new member from Wales on the boards (my Nan was from the other end of Wales to you, Prestatyn)...although I live in Virginia.
The 5102T. Always wanted to track down one of these, myself.
I think they were all made in Japan by Matsumoku. The "Kalamazoo" label is a bit of a red herring.
Right:
Go to the main page of the forum: http://forum.gibson.com/ and in the search box in the upper right, paste in, including quotation marks, "5102T"
You'll find 16 threads, some of them dating back years (2008, 2010, around that time). Lots of information on your guitar.
It's a great pity really, there used to be some really knowledgeable people at this forum, and it used to be a really good source of information because of them. Looking at the names in those old posts made me nostalgic - RobintheHood, JonnyG et al. It's a real shame that most of them no longer post here. This forum ain't what it was.
Anyway, that's all lost to the mists of time. But you'll find plenty of useful info in the old threads about your 5102T. Glad you're enjoying your vintage Epi!
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I'd forgotten about Guitar Dater. I hadn't been to that site in years. This thread reminded me of its existence.
To be fair, if one reads the fine print it stresses that it isn't a database, it's just a simple computer programme. Also, there is mention of ongoing work to update the Epiphone section of the site. It must be difficult for the programmer to keep up to date with changes in practice by manufacturers, especially when large changes bring about arcane distinctions, such as Epi's shift from EE, DW, UC, etc. prefixes to 2 digit prefixes around 2010 or whenever it was.
Guitar Dater is also an interesting piece of Web 2.0 "With enough people contributing to the project we will be to find out what model guitars were made at which factories." It does not profess to be foolproof.
Ultimately, I suppose, of the guitar playing population, how many guitarists actually obsess over date/factory of manufacture? Probably a small percentage, (there being, after all, a definite distinction between people who are guitarists and people who are guitarists with a detailed interest in guitars - the latter being the type of people who frequent guitar forums).
For the average inquirer, Guitar Dater does a pretty good job, I think. I just grabbed an example serial number at random from ebay (a 2006 Strat in this case): http://www.ebay.com/itm/2006-Fender-Classic-Player-Stratocaster-60-s-Strat-Custom-Shop-Designed-1960s-/121218903771?pt=Guitar&hash=item1c3935aedb
Guitar Dater says:
Your guitar was made at the
Ensenada Plant (Fender), Mexico
in the Year(s): 2006 - 2007
That's not bad. For the casual inquirer, it's probably a useful site. With these things comes a certain degree of required intelligence on the part of the person asking the question. If you type in the number of a guitar you've just purchased, new, from Guitar Center, and it tells you that it was made in 1965, or if it produces a future date in the next decade, it's reasonable to assume there is a gremlin in the works, somewhere, rather than assuming you've picked up a valuable and wholly unexpected relic, or have finally found proof of time travel...
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My Unsung, China, (UC) G-400 was, I think a 2005. So perhaps just a little before the Qingdao (EE) G-400s were the predominant G-400s sold?
The DaeWon (DW) G-400s never seemed to have a great reputation. At least I seem to recall that from somewhere.
( Edit: that thought sent me looking back through the mists of time in the Epi forum - to a very knowledgeable guy called "RotcanX" who used to post here years back - here is his thread that briefly referenced EE/UC/DW G-400s and their various merits and demerits: http://forum.gibson.com/index.php?/topic/39124-unsung-jumps-into-the-china-ring/ )
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Best SG I ever had was a G-400 made by Unsung, China. I guess they made them there before they sourced Chinese made Epiphones to the Qingdao factory? Even though it was a humble, stock G-400, I've never found one as good, for whatever reason.
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Do I regret an Epiphone purchase?
Only once - a (Korean-made) Epiphone Firebird V (reverse) with a bolt-on neck, which I bought new sometime around 1997.
Total and utter garbage. Horrible in every way.
It looked just like this one: i.e. quite attractive - from a distance; but it played like the firewood it was. (Also this one seems to have had some hideous translucent speed-knobs retrospectively applied).
It makes me smile when some people wax lyrical about Korean Epiphones always being better than Chinese ones - (proof that a guitar should always be judged on its individual merits...)
All other Epis I've owned have been excellent guitars. The Firebird was just a bad apple, I suppose. Although reviews of the Korean-made bolt-on Firebirds from the 1990s were never very positive, in my experience.
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Right, most things are made in China, so it's kind of pointless to try to avoid them. Besides, if it wasn't for China, our country would be bankrupt. We ought to be nicer to them.
Oh, cool, I didn't realize that the Chinese government just stepped in one day and starting paying down US federal debt. That was nice of them. When did that happen?
Selling US Treasury Securities to the tune of $1150,000,000,000 to Beijing doesn't offset bankruptcy. It simply increases indebtedness, unless that money can be used as some sort of pump-primer for the domestic economy. There's slight evidence of that.
Criticizing the Chinese government doesn't equate to being unkind to the Chinese people. By the way, the Chinese government needs no help from outside in that department. Maybe you should read Amnesty International's human rights report on China for 2011: http://www.amnesty.org/en/region/china/report-2011
"Most things are made in China" because companies selling their goods in the west see an opportunity to increase profits by manufacturing products in a country where labour costs are cheap. Additionally, a huge sector of the retail market in the west is focused upon cheap consumer goods. Things have to be priced very cheap to sell, and therefore have to be made very, very cheaply for companies' profit expectations to be realized. Such is the nature of capitalism today.
A short, amusing, but illustrative video:
[YOUTUBE]
[/YOUTUBE]Back to the original question?
As regards Sheratons, I have no idea (having owned neither a Korean nor a Chinese example). I have owned a Korean Epiphone (a Firebird V), which was total and utter crap. I have also owned a Chinese Epiphone (a G-400 from Unsung, China) that was a nice guitar. I'm not sure that is a particularly scientific test, however.
None of this is intended to be "holier than thou" or some sort of pious homily. I, too, have a house full of Chinese products bought from big box stores, because: ( a ) As a consumer I like to have things, and ( b ) I have a modest income. ( a ) + ( b ) therefore means that if I desire a flat-screen TV or a guitar, then chances are that in today's retail environment those items will originate with low-cost labour in China.
Would I like a handmade guitar, crafted by a luthier/artisan in the US or Europe? Absolutely! Can I afford that? No. So I head down to Guitar Center or similar and what do I find in my price range? Chinese-made guitars. So I buy one. Many of them seem very good for the price. C'est la vie.
Just don't assume that there is anything inherently noble about doing business with China, or that you are doing workers in China (or, indeed, anywhere else in the world) some sort of magnanimous favour by purchasing Chinese made goods.
It all comes at a cost, you know...both social and economic...
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Avoid like the plague any of the bolt-on Epiphone Firebird Vs from the 1990s you may come across, (they have a metal plate on the heel..."Handcrafted in Korea for Epiphone, Nashville, TN etc, etc"............because they're crap.
OK, moving on to modern Epiphone Firebirds. I agree with some of the other posters here, they are very nice guitars. However, the extent to which the Epi Firebird Studio is a "Firebird" is debatable - set neck, full-sized humbuckers - I agree, a funny-shaped G-400. That's not a direct criticism of Epiphone, one could argue that the Gibson Firebird Studio was a funny-shaped SG.
The Epiphone Firebird VIIs are probably the best Firebird Epiphone has made in recent years.
I've thought about buying one...but I'm a bit of a purist when it comes to Firebirds...and the only way to satisfy that GAS on a budget is to go down the route of a used Gibson, I'm afraid. :-
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I would like to see her get everything Epiphone intended -- this may be a bigger deal to a kid than an adult. Anyway' date=' any opinions about [i']Sweetwater.com [/i]for new guitars? They claim to do a thorough check of the guitars they send out to customers.
The only on-line guitar stores I'll deal with these days are Sweetwater and American Musical Supply. Both are equally good. I wouldn't read too much into the Sweetwater "check" - take it to mean that at least they have inspected the guitar, and won't send you something obviously damaged or deficient. The Strat I bought from them still needed a set-up from my local guitar store for it to play as well as it could... That's fine by me, they never said a complete set-up was included in their price. And the set-up still cost me less than the sales tax would have been, had I bought the guitar locally instead of on-line.
Agree with you re: the Epi tat. It might be useless to some of us, but I think to a kid the posters, bumper stickers etc are all part of the experience. And if you paid for them, then you should get them. When I bought a Casino from American Musical Supply, all was present and correct - just as it should be. Which made even this big kid smile...
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Oh well, if we are inundating EPI1 with requests, then I have a very simple one:
Could Epiphone PLEASE make a decent FIREBIRD?
Not a Studio model with full-sized Humbuckers, not something with a faded or worn finish...
I mean an honest-to-God Epi version of a Gibson Firebird V. Proper sunburst finish (or an opaque ebony or white as an alternative option), Banjo tuners (the ones you use on the current Studio are fine), mini-humbuckers, and, if a though-neck is cost prohibitive, then a set neck would suffice (no bolt-ons).
Epiphone does a great job of making Gibson models available to musicians like me who can't meet the Gibson price-tag. The Firebird is, I suspect, a much more popular model than some may think. I believe it deserves to be properly represented in the Epiphone line-up, as is currently the case with SGs, Les Pauls, ES-335 "Dots" etc, etc...
Thanks!
And if you're looking for inspiration, simply refer to the photo below...
So please, recalibrate some of the machinery at Qingdao and start cranking out the 'birds...
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I agree' date=' it looks like a Telecaster with HB pickups, I'll have to check out some clips and see what they sound like.[/quote']
It's odd, really...It looks like a Tele because of the headstock and the control configuration. However, I find it doesn't "feel" like a Tele at all (I also own a Tele, and have compared the two quite a bit). The St Blues feels like a Gibson-style guitar, mainly because of the shorter scale I guess, coupled with the rounded upper horn. There is some brightness in the bridge pick-up, but this does not get that close to the Telecaster 'twang'...Through a Boss Blues Driver, I find it gets close to an overdriven Les Paul tone on the neck p'up...But overall it has its own sound - which is a good thing... You'll have to play one in person to really appreciate it, but these guitars are worth checking out!
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Nice guitars' date=' sort of a LesStratoTelePaul-o-caster:
[img']http://i608.photobucket.com/albums/tt163/brianehuff/BMIV_HoneyRoseWood.jpg[/img]
That's a good description, Brian!
A 24 3/4" scale, unbound neck, rosewood fretboard, bolted on to a Les Paul shaped (bound) body (with no carved top), 2 humbuckers, one tone and one volume control....
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I was wondering if I am the only guy at the Epi forums with a St Blues guitar? Or are other people here fans of this make?
To be honest, after a couple of months of owning one I'm a convert. Love the thing...My St Blues and my Hagstrom have fast become my two main guitars.
I knew nothing at all about this company beyond seeing an occasional ad in Guitar Player. The day I bought mine I certainly didn't leave the house intending to buy a St Blues, I just happened upon one at my local music store and it ended up coming home with me.
Perhaps they are a little expensive for imported guitars (they are "Korean-made yet US-designed and tweaked" apparently) - but not outrageously so. The one I bought was on the rack at $800 + $100 for the case, but I got a deal with my Casino in trade.
Anyway, here's the link to their website - http://www.saintblues.com/home.php - some tasty looking instruments on display, especially their "White Lightning" model:
And what the heck, I posted it before but here's my Mississippi Bluesmaster. My wife thinks it's damned ugly (she loved the Casino on the stand in the music room)...but then she's a singer not a guitarist...
BTW: I posted this because I have seen threads about other guitars at the forum. Thanks to Epiphone for allowing us to discuss other manufacturer's guitars at their forum.
Johnny.
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Not at all...at least not the few Hagstroms I've tried.
I have however read very good reviews on the older Hagstrom' date=' '80s or so, but have no hands on experience with those....as I said just from reading. [/quote']
To be honest, I kind of regret my earlier exuberant post. I agree with those who have basically said, "What's the point in comparison threads like this?" If a guitar works for you...it works for you (irrespective of the name on the headstock). My Viking works for me and my Casino didn't (hence I still own the Viking and sold the Casino). Other people would doubtless have reached the converse opinion.
Raf - here's the deal with the new Hagstroms. When the reissues first came out there were a lot of quality control issues (as my local Hagstrom dealer freely admits). Some of these issues were serious (such as people cutting themselves on the poorly-finished fret ends). Unfortunately, a lot of these guitars (which should have been recalled) ended up on e-bay. This accounts, in part, for the mixed reviews you'll find at Harmony Central for the new Hags.
Then, around 2008, Hagstrom really got their act together. And the reissues from that point on are truly excellent (especially for their price). If you find a dealer with a few Hags in stock and try one or two, I think you'd be impressed.
The Hagstrom serial number is simple. It begins with an "M" for some reason, followed by the year...07, 08, 09 etc. Pick up an 08 onwards and I'll bet it's a fine guitar.
But to each his own. I revise my earlier statement. To the original poster: there is no "better" guitar between the Casino, Dot and Viking. All that exists is the model a player (personally) prefers.
Johnny.
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Casino hands down
I think not..!
In terms of build quality' date=' the new Hagstroms leave a standard MIC Epiphone Casino in the dust, scratching its head and wondering what just hit it. That said, the Viking is based (loosely) on an ES-335 and oozes that semi-hollow vibe. The Casino is probaby still the best hollow-body electric out there for the $$.
I love my Viking. It's a wonderful guitar, the best I have ever owned (and I own American Fenders and have owned Gibsons in the past). If I could have only one guitar, it would be this one.
Choose whatever guitar suits you best. But I'm certain the Hagstrom will not disappoint you....
But remember that the Viking and Viking Deluxe are actually the same guitar. The Deluxe just has more 'bling.' That said, the new Viking Deluxe Tremars (Hagstrom's take on a Bigsby fitted as stock) tend to leave one salivating...
[img']http://www.hagstromguitars.com/images/VDT_BLK.jpg[/img]
Johnny.
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You can get real Kluson Tuners for a buck fifty on eBay... That isn't the problem... But I agree' date=' if somebody buys a product, no matter how cheap it is, he/she should expect everything to work fine. To be perfectly honest. I have the stock tuners on my Casino... I'm quite the bender and it hardy gets out of tune. STOCK TUNERS AREN'T AS BAD AS THEIR REPUTATION! --> For those pea-pickers out there who get a heatattack after every time the guitar get out of tune.
The only reason I'd exchange the tuners would be for the looks of the epi ones. But that's just a matter of taste...
Stock isn't that bad you see. But there are people out there who can't stand to have a guitar that sounds/looks like 3557624523 other guitars out there, so they start customizing and stuff until the plastic on their credit cards start to melt and they're happy with the result.
At the end of the day it's much more important to actually PLAY THE INSTRUMENT instead of wasting hours for customizing and so on...
Nick[/quote']
Sorry, but I can't agree with you re: the tuners. I haven't encountered a MIC Casino yet which I wouldn't change the tuners on. MIK Casinos too, actually.
Here's the thing. You buy a Dot and it has Grovers.
They've tried to keep the look of the Casino, and used those crappy 'e' branded kluson copies...
But the Elitist gets Grovers.
Go figure...
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i'm not a fan of the bigsby' date=' i'd prefer to keep the tailpiece, although if there's a better trapeze tailpiece that might be worth looking into. [/quote']
Well, I have no experience of using this, but it might be worth considering....?
http://store.guitarfetish.com/clepcagiesst.html
also available in gold...
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From what I've seen (having played quite a few Chinese Casinos), the construction of the guitar itself is quite sound. The P90s are excellent (I actually don't understand the change-out-the-stock-P90s-in-my-Casino-thread that's going on at the moment.)
The tuners are garbage. Take them off, throw them in the trash, stick a set of Grovers on there.
You'll probably find yourself changing out the switch as well.
Then there's the nut. If the guitar won't stay in tune after you've changed the tuners, then you have found the culprit. I'd go with a Graph Tec myself.
Oh, and the bridge will probably rattle like the exhaust on an old Chevy. Think about replacing it with a Gotoh.
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Some Epiphone models for European distribution were made by the Czech company Bohêmia Musico-Delicia in the 1990s. I played a couple of Les Pauls when I was an exchange student in Germany in the late '90s.
To be frank, I reckon there's an undeserved mythology which has developed around these guitars. They may have been a little better than their Asian-made 90s contemporaries, but not strikingly so.
I'd take a good, modern, Qingdao made Les Paul over one of these any day.
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What happened to the Firebird X stock
in The Gibson Lounge
Posted
Strange choices, I agree. But then I didn't say I agreed with the "luxury" manufacturers' decisions to destroy product rather than sell it cheaply.
The difference is, I think, that the cheap-o Firebird Zero was always marketed, from day one, as an inexpensive guitar. The Firebird Xs were very far from that.
On a separate, unrelated note, I do not understand why Gibson doesn't do what Fender has done, and make its guitars available across a variety of price points. There is more value in selling them as "Gibson Les Pauls" than preserving that moniker for US made instruments. People who wanted an American one would buy an American one, other people would buy a foreign made one for less money - just as is the case with US, Mexican, and Asian made Stats and Teles. But I digress.